Water braking and cooling system



Jan. 8, 1963 w. B. WOODY ETAL WATER BRAKING AND COOLING SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1958 yzdnd 5.

IN V EN TORS [00 OGZI/ fl/a': 77299 2 6'. 3003 Z B KENWAY, 12mm, WITTER & mumnfi Jan. 8, 1963 w. B. WOODY ETAL 3,072,224

WATER BRAKING AND COOLING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 8. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 By .IQ'NWAV, JENNEY, WITTER & HILDRETH Jan. 8, 1963 W. B. WOODY ETA].

WATER BRAKING AND COOLING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 8, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INYENTORS (day Zane! 5- 1/ 0 772er2 G. 3002 2 By KENWAY, JENNEY, WITTER & HILDRETH Jan. 8, 1963 w. B. WOODY ETA]. 3,072,224

WATER BRAKING AND COOLING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 8, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS filldyidnzz a 400 LL War? 6. 50022 By KENWAY,JENNEY,WITTER& HILoREfiii United States Patent 3,072,224 WATER BRAKING AND COOLING SYSTEM Wayland B. Woody and Merl G. Scott, Pampa, Tex., assignors to Cabot Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware I Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,800 Claims. (Cl. 188264) This invention comprises a novel and improved water brake cooling system particularly adapted for use in oil fields in connection with well servicing apparatus employed for raising and lowering heavy strings of pipe from and into deep wells. The operation of lowering these heavy strings releases a tremendous amount of energy which must be absorbed or transformed by the equipment employed. The servicing of a well ordinarily requires but a few hours and it is an economic necessity that the equipment used be as completely integrated and mobile as possible. The apparatus comprising my invention is sufiiciently compact and light in weight to permit it to be mounted as a component part of a well servicing unit in which the entire equipment is self propelled or mounted on a motor truck providing for convenience and efficient movement from well to well.

Water brakes or hydro equipment, utilized in retarding and controlling the lowering of oil well piping have heretofore been dependent on an external source of cool braking Water. In recent years numerous attempts have been made to provide satisfactory cooling using a small volume of water in a package sufficiently compact to be suitable for incorporation as an integral part of a mobile servicing unit. These prior attempts have all failed, either because of their inability to maintain temperature levels at which safe and efficient operation could be attained, or on account of the complication and expense of the equipment required. The present invention obviates such ditiiculty in a simple and efiicient manner by providing an integrated self-contained unit having its own water supply, a cooler and means for circulating water through the brake with continuous recirculation through the cooler.

During the braking operation the water in the brake is made to absorb a substantial portion of the energy generated in lowering the pipe into the well and the water thus becomes superheated, that is to say, heated above its atmospheric boiling point, and must be replaced by cooler Water. The efliciency of the apparatus is dependent upon the amount of energy absorbed by the water and important features of our invention reside in increasing the amount of energy thus absorbed and in continuously releasing this energy by efiiciently cooling the water and recirculating it through the brake. In accordance with the invention the increased absorption of energy is obtained by maintaining a high fluid pressure in the brake that very substantially raises the boiling point of the water therein and the superheated water thus produced is conducted under regulated control to a remote and elevated cooling tank where steam is permitted to form and is condensed and collected for return with the cooled water to the brake. The production of a self-contained system of this nature wherein the cooperating parts are designed to absorb a very substantial amount of energy in the brake and to dissipate such energy in the cooling device and collect and return the cooled water to the brake comprises a primary object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 illustrates and embodiment of the invention mounted on a motor truck,

3,072,224 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the Water braking mechanism employed,

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3,

FIG. 4 is a perspective View, partially broken away, of a steam condensing and water cooling tank employed,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a system of bafiies employed in the tank,

FIG. 6 is an elevation of a derrick supporting the cooling tank in elevated position, and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the water braking and cooling system.

In FIG. 1 we have illustrated an embodiment of the invention mounted on a motor truck 10. The mechanism includes a power operated hoisting winch 12 and a derrick 14 carrying a cooling tank 15, the derrick being shown in horizontal position on the truck for transporting purposes and being mounted to be swung up into the vertical position of FIG. 6 when in use at a Well.

A water brake of Hydratarder of conventional hydrodynamic type and including a varied rotor 16 mounted for rotation in the vaned chamber of a stator housing 18 is employed for supplementing the mechanical brake mechanism of the winch to resist the lowering of piping into a well, the rotor 16 being adapted to be connected to the hoisting mechanism for this purpose. A Water inlet port into the housing is provided at 19 and an out-. let port therefrom is provided at 20. The flow of water into the housing is regulated by a valve 21 on the inlet side.

The cooling and condensing tank 15 is supported in a remote and elevated position on the upper end of the derrick 14, as illustrated in FIG. 6, and superheated water from the brake is delivered to the tank through a pipe 34 connected to the outlet port 20 and cooled water is returned from the tank to the brake through a pipe 36 connected to the inlet port 19, a check valve 31 being provided in the pipe 34. Vertical and horizontal partitions 37 and 38 having openings 44) therethrough divide the tank into a plurality of upper and lower chambers as illustrated in FIG. 4 and a series of diverging baffle plates 41 of the nature shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 provide sinuous bafiled passages through an intermediate upper chamber. superheated water forced upwardly from the brake to the tank through a pipe 34 enters an upper chamber at one end of the tank and a deflector 42 is disposed in this chamber to receive and deflect this water together with released steam against the walls of the chamber permitting a primary separation of water and steam and the passage of the steam through the portal 43 to one end of the batlie plates 41, and the separated water falling by gravity through the openings 40 to the water reservoir chamber below. It will be appreciated that the steam formed in this primary chamber must derive the heat energy required for vaporization from the stream of superheated water from which it originates, and further that the temperature of that portion of the entering stream remaining as liquid water can have a temperature no higher than the boiling point of the liquid under the reduced pressure existing in the reservoir. From this circumstance it becomes apparent that from the reaction occurring in the primary upper chamber there is recovered a volume of water cooled sufiiciently to be suitable for return to the brake. The released steam passing through the portal 83 into the battle chamber expands as it progresses through the sinuous passages provided by the baffle plates, thereby losing heat energy and condensing. The water thus formed is continuously separated from the steam by the constant change of direction of the stream flowing along the baffied and expanding passages and runs down to the'bottom of the chamber from which it is returned to the reservoir to further add to the water recovered from the primary upper chamber and together to be returned through the pipe 36 at the bottom of the tank to the water brake.

The portion of the expanded steam remaining in the tank is passed through a pipe 44 to a trap 46 where a substantial portion of the water in such steam is separated and the recovered water returned by a pipe 47 to the line 36 which returns it to the brake. The trap is preferably a power driven centrifugal separator which functions to separate the major portion of water from the steam so that only a minor portion escapes to the atmosphere eventually as steam through a pipe 48. Water level checking valves are provided in the ends of the tank at 5% and 52.

The wells to be serviced are ordinarily several thousand feet deep and the pipe load on the winch and braking system -is very substantial. The function of the water brake is to supplement the winch brake in sustaining this load and absorb the developed energy. During the braking operation great quantities of energy are thus absorbed in the brake which results in rapidly heating the water within the brake housing 18 and important features of the invention reside in maintaining the fluid in the brake 18 under a sufiiciently high pressure head to raise its boiling point significantly, in providing means of controlling the pressure head so as to regulate the area in which boiling occurs and steam is formed, and in providing means for the regulation of the water flow into the brake and its exit therefrom so that effective control of the braking forces may be obtained.

The elements of the system that contribute to this end particularly include (1) the control valve 21 to throttle the inflow of fluid to the brake is and (2) scavenger means, including pipes 24 and 2-5 and check valves 31 and 32, to remove fluid from the brake and return it against the pressure head to the tank under conditions of partial throttle operation. The inflow control of water to the brake in conjunction with the check valve 31 and pipe 34 to maintain suflicient back pressure to the exiting of the water from the brake provides a pressure head in the brake that very substantially raises the boiling point of the water and permits the superheating of the water with resulting absorption of substantial energy without ebullition or the development of steam until the water passes into the tank 15. As the water passes outwardly through the valve 31 this high pressure is relieved and steam is generated as the water passes into the tank. Thus the system so controls the area of ebullition that (1) maximum energy is absorbed in the brake by the Water without the generation of steam and (2) a large portion of the energy is released and dissipated in the form of steam as the water passes at reduced pressure into the tank 15. The inflow of water, regulated by the valve 211 and the outflow, regulated by the valve 31 and the pump 22, as specifically illustrated herein, may be regulated by such other means or modification as is found suitable and eflicient. For example, a fluid-operated variable orifice might be installed on the discharge end of the pipe 34 to maintain sufiicient back pressure to keep the water fluid until it discharges into the tank.

Controlled circulation of water through the system is supplemented by a pump 22, preferably of the rotary type, driven. through a chain belt 27 from the main shaft 23 of the winch. An inlet pipe 24 to the pump is connected to the brake outlet port Zil below the check valve 31 and an outlet pipe 25 from the pump is connected to the brake outlet pipe 34 above the check valve 31. A water supply pipe 2-6 is connected into the pipe 24 and is provided with a shut-oil valve 28, and a flow regulating valve 3% is provided in the pipe 24 between the pump 22 and the port 20. A check valve 32, is also provided in the pipe 25.

The pump 22 and its connections into the system serve the functions of cooperating with the brake to maintain the desired pressure in the housing 155 and proper circulation of the water through the system, and aids in scavenging water from the brake at the end of each Well treating operation. The pump with its supply pipe 26 also furnishes a means for recharging the system from an external source of water without auxiliary equipment or manual labor, by alternative use of the pump 22, the valves 23 and 35 being opened and closed respectively for this purpose.

It should be understood that varied braking requirements can be effected by controlling the amount of water entering the brake 18 at 21, the brake being adapted to operate at full load when the valve 21 is fully opened and being adapted to operate at reduced load as the valve Zll is moved toward the closed position. The check valve 31 also cooperates with the brake and valve 21 to maintain the desired pressure in the brake as and for the purpose described, and the pump 22 adds further cooperation to maintain circulation and the desired pressures within the housing 18. When the servicing operation is completed the valve 211 is closed whereupon the pump cooperates with the brake to scavenge the water from the housing E8.

The mounting of the tank 15 on the top end of the derrick serves important functions in applicants well servicing unit. Such elevating of the tank aids in providing sufiicient pressure head in the brake housing 18 as is necessary to absorb substantial energy without ebullition or the development of steam as the heated water is forced upwardly to the tank through the pipe 3 The placing of the tank at the high elevation also aids substantially in the rapid condensing and cooling steps by utilizing the wind and air currents present at the high elevation. The high elevation furthermore provides a substantial pressure head for rapid gravity flowing of the cooled water downwardly from the tank through the pipe 36 to the housing inlet 19. The mounting of the tank on the derrick also adds considerable compact convenience and portability to the unit.

Having thus disclosed our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A mobile water braking and cooling mechanism comprising in combination, a motorized truck, a derrick mounted on the truck for movement thereon to and from horizontal transporting position and vertical position, a steam condensing and water cooling and collecting tank mounted on the top end of the derrick for movement therewith to elevated position, a water brake on the truck including a rotor within a stator housing and adapted to be connected to a hoisting reel, means providing inlet and outlet ports to the housing, means for conducting superheated water from said outlet port to the top of the tank when the derrick is in vertical position, means for conducting cooled water from the bottom of the tank back through said inlet port to the housing and maintaining a hydraulic pressure head on water about the rotor whereby the water may be superheated above its atmospheric boiling point, and means for regulating the ilow of water from the tank to the inlet port.

2. A rectangular steam condensing and cooling tank having outside walls and inside partitions providing a plurality of enclosed upper and lower chambers, the partitions having openings therethrough permit-ti he the passage of water and steam, an inlet pipe at one end of the 'tank in communication with an upper chamber therein,

means providing sinuous batiied passages in second upper chamber adjacent to the first named upper chamber, a deflector in the first named upper chamber in alignment with the pipe and adapted to deflect hot water and steam therefrom against certain of said walls and partitions and into said openings and passages, and an outlet pipe in the other end of the tank in communication with a lower chamber therein. 7

3. In a mobile well servicing apparatus including a motor truck having a derrick and a water brake; a cooling tank mounted near the top of the derrick and having external inlet and outlet pipe connections with the water brake, the tank having an elongated expansion chamber defined by a plurality of undulating baifie plates diverging and so providing an eXpading passage for steam entering the tank through its inlet connections.

4. A cooling tank for Well servicing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which a horizontal partition is provided in the tank beneath the said elongated expansion chamber and is perforated for the separation by gravity of Water entrained with entering steam.

5. A cooling tank for Well servicing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the tank is provided with an overhead outlet having a steam trap and return con nections from the trap to the water brake.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,024,982 Fottingcr Apr. 30, 1912 6 Walker May 13, Sinclair May 24, De La Mater Feb. 26, Darrieus Jan. 16, Fitzpatrick Dec. 31, Rohlin Mar. 30, Dixon May 30, Ash June 13, Black et a1 Oct. 30, OLeary Dec. 13, OLeary Feb. 21, Mummert Sept. 18, Chamberlain June 29, Lee Mar. 8, Parks Ian. 24, Pietrasz Ian. 19,

Wilson Aug. 9, 

1. A MOBILE WATER BRAKING AND COOLING MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A MOTORIZED TRUCK, A DERRICK MOUNTED ON THE TRUCK FOR MOVEMENT THEREON TO AND FROM HORIZONTAL TRANSPORTING POSITION AND VERTICAL POSITION, A STEAM CONDENSING AND WATER COOLING AND COLLECTING TANK MOUNTED ON THE TOP END OF THE DERRICK FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH TO ELEVATED POSITION, A WATER BRAKE ON THE TRUCK INCLUDING A ROTOR WITHIN A STATOR HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A HOISTING REEL, MEANS PROVIDING INLET AND OUTLET PORTS TO THE HOUSING, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SUPERHEATED WATER FROM SAID OUTLET PORT TO THE TOP OF THE TANK WHEN THE DERRICK IS IN VERTICAL POSITION, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING COOLED WATER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK BACK THROUGH SAID INLET PORT TO THE HOUSING AND MAINTAINING A HYDRAULIC PRESSURE HEAD ON WATER ABOUT THE ROTOR WHEREBY THE WATER MAY BE SUPERHEATED ABOVE ITS ATMOSPHERIC BOILING POINT, AND MEANS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF WATER FROM THE TANK TO THE INLET PORT. 